Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in Africa

This paper analyses the impact of integrating Critical Information Literacy (CIL) in academic libraries as a strategy of empowering library users of the critical value of information, and how it can be a transformative tool in impacting the social well-being of a society, especially in Africa. The r...

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Main Authors: Bouaamri Asmaa, Otike Fredrick
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2025-08-01
Series:Open Information Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/opis-2025-0020
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author Bouaamri Asmaa
Otike Fredrick
author_facet Bouaamri Asmaa
Otike Fredrick
author_sort Bouaamri Asmaa
collection DOAJ
description This paper analyses the impact of integrating Critical Information Literacy (CIL) in academic libraries as a strategy of empowering library users of the critical value of information, and how it can be a transformative tool in impacting the social well-being of a society, especially in Africa. The researchers relied on a literature review as a methodology in the study to explore the evolution and various forms of CIL over the past decade. The study analyses both past and current research on the role of academic libraries in Africa, their orientation toward CIL, and the dynamic trends and challenges faced. The findings reveal that CIL remains largely underutilized in academic libraries across many African countries, with on-going challenges in promoting information literacy. The paper offers several recommendations, including the integration of CIL into Library and Information Science (LIS) higher education curricula in Africa, highlighting the potential benefits of such an approach.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2451-1781
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publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher De Gruyter
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series Open Information Science
spelling doaj-art-4d99b09a9a8249429f63255dc510323d2025-08-25T06:11:15ZengDe GruyterOpen Information Science2451-17812025-08-019148750110.1515/opis-2025-0020Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in AfricaBouaamri Asmaa0Otike Fredrick1Independent Researcher, Montreal, CanadaUniversity Librarian at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Nyeri, KenyaThis paper analyses the impact of integrating Critical Information Literacy (CIL) in academic libraries as a strategy of empowering library users of the critical value of information, and how it can be a transformative tool in impacting the social well-being of a society, especially in Africa. The researchers relied on a literature review as a methodology in the study to explore the evolution and various forms of CIL over the past decade. The study analyses both past and current research on the role of academic libraries in Africa, their orientation toward CIL, and the dynamic trends and challenges faced. The findings reveal that CIL remains largely underutilized in academic libraries across many African countries, with on-going challenges in promoting information literacy. The paper offers several recommendations, including the integration of CIL into Library and Information Science (LIS) higher education curricula in Africa, highlighting the potential benefits of such an approach.https://doi.org/10.1515/opis-2025-0020information literacycritical information literacycritical theoryacademic librarydeveloping countriesafrica
spellingShingle Bouaamri Asmaa
Otike Fredrick
Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in Africa
Open Information Science
information literacy
critical information literacy
critical theory
academic library
developing countries
africa
title Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in Africa
title_full Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in Africa
title_fullStr Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in Africa
title_full_unstemmed Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in Africa
title_short Integration of Critical Information Literacy Skills in Academic Libraries in Africa
title_sort integration of critical information literacy skills in academic libraries in africa
topic information literacy
critical information literacy
critical theory
academic library
developing countries
africa
url https://doi.org/10.1515/opis-2025-0020
work_keys_str_mv AT bouaamriasmaa integrationofcriticalinformationliteracyskillsinacademiclibrariesinafrica
AT otikefredrick integrationofcriticalinformationliteracyskillsinacademiclibrariesinafrica